Fender Custom Classic (Custom Shop) Jazz Bass American Deluxe 4 string
Price paid: $1799 at Music 123
Body: Alder
Finish: 3-tone, nitro cellulose
Pickguard: Tortoise shell
Neck: Maple, satin finish, C shape, quartersawn
Fongerboad: East Indian rosewood, block inlays, NO binding
Joint: 5 screw type
Fretwork: Perfect no buzzing at all up or down the neck
Fit/finish: Perfect.
Tone: Awesome
Playability: Since I can get the action more then low enough for my tastes,
I can't complain at all. Can do all my "fancy" double thump, sweeps, double triple slap, etc. with no problem.
Tonal flexibility: Excellent
Dynamics/Punch: Amazing
Truss rod: Nice and lubed, not hard to turn at all
Tuners: Schaller model, more precise then the standard Fender tuners
Straplocks: Shaller
Electronics: 18V Fender pre-amp
P/UPS: Fender single coil noiseless
Controls: Vol, Blend, Bass/Treb, Mid
Input jack: bottom of body, football style.
Bridge: Adjustable string width, string thru, or regular stringing.
Scale 34"
Frets: 21
So I have had this baby for a few days now...all I have to say is anyone wants a "Fender done right" you should check out a Fender Custom Shop Jazz bass, especially from a mail order where no asswipe can ding the heck out of it and get their schmutz all over the bass. My bass came right out of the box ready to play. Fender did a nice job setting up and intonating the bass, although I did a few minor truss adjustments, string lowering, intonation, and pickup height.
At around $1800 dollars, STILL less then half the price of a Sadowsky,
Lakland, Lull, etc., and as a picky player, the ONLY thing I can complain about is a deadspot on the 8th fret (Eb) but heck, my MTD's and even a few
Zons have dead spots. An interesting note is my FMT J-bass (American Deluxe)
also has the graphite re-enforcement strips in it, and even though the headstock and the body are smaller then the FCS (Fender Custom Shop) Jazz
Bass, IT TOO has the deadspot in the same exact area.
I have never heard this bass mentioned in the last 4-5 years or so, and wonder why people would spend $3500 on a Sad or Lakland when this viable alternative is out there, at almost half the price.
Fongerboad wood is also quite unique looking as I haven't seen rosewood (Indian) on a Jazz bass before, and as orange/brown as this one appears (goes quite well with the tortoise shell pick guard). Electronics are reasonably quiet, and tone is to die for (the tone that all other J-clones seem to try to approach).
5 out of 5 stars
pics:
http://www.peterduncan.net/Custom_Shop_Jazz/